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How do I use the D-Box drum engine?

OP-1tutorialguide
By ivan.codes·Updated Jul 2026·Official OP-1 Guide ↗

The D-Box (short for drumbox) is a dual oscillator synthesizer built into drum mode, designed specifically for creating synthetic drum sounds.

Accessing D-Box

Press the Drum key, then press Shift + any sound key (1-8) and choose D-Box from the list.

Basic controls

The four encoders control the first oscillator by default:

  • Blue encoder: pitch
  • Green encoder: waveform
  • White encoder: envelope
  • Orange encoder: cross modulation

Accessing the second oscillator

Hold Shift while turning the encoders to access the secondary oscillator parameters:

  • Shift + Blue: pitch of second oscillator
  • Shift + Green: waveform of second oscillator
  • Shift + White: envelope of second oscillator
  • Shift + Orange: filter cutoff frequency

Saving your sound

Hold any sound key (1-8) for five seconds to save. The sound will be stored in the snapshot folder.

Tips

D-Box is great for kicks, snares, and electronic percussion since you can shape the attack transient and body of a sound independently across the two oscillators. Use the cross modulation (orange encoder) to add grit and character, and dial in the filter cutoff with Shift + orange for tonal shaping.

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